HOUSTON – October 30, 2018 – Milton Cooper Elementary School has been named a 2018 Gold Ribbon School by the Texas School Guide and Children At Risk, a Houston-based research and advocacy program that conducts research to understand trends, inequities, resources and opportunities in education.

Principal Leticia Gonzalez said the award brings the unique opportunity to share best practices while being a part of research that will be used to advocate for policy change at the state and federal level.

“I am elated that Cooper was selected to receive this recognition, especially after I researched the purpose behind the recognition and what it involves,” said Gonzalez. “This award validates the hard work put in by our students and staff, and they deserve recognition for their high performance.”

In order to be selected for the award, Children At Risk identifies hundreds of high performing schools each year that support some of the most at-risk children across Texas. High-poverty schools are considered campuses that serve more than 75 percent economically-disadvantaged students.

Schools are given grades A through F based on student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, student growth or improvement on standardized tests over time and college readiness. Campuses that are considered high performing are those that receive an A or a B in the program’s rankings and are identified as Gold Ribbon Schools.

“STAAR results at Cooper have been very consistent, [and] this is a significant factor to be selected,” said Gonzalez. “Our strength continues to be in the area of math and science. Along with that, our school serves 85 percent economically-disadvantaged students. This award is a testament to the heart and soul of what we do at Cooper Elementary.”

Over the next several months, Children at Risk will conduct quantitative and qualitative research at Cooper to further understand Gold Ribbon schools’ success and create a blueprint that can be used by other schools.